Improvement in frogs



c.- @..SHELBYQ Frogs. Y i i @10.157,877. Patented Dec.15,1874.

THE Gmane cafuvu-mvasa 4| PARK PLACE, im

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHRISTOPHER O. SHELBY, OF SPRING VALLEY, NEW YORK.

livlPRovEMENT IN FRoGs.

Specification forming pari o1" Letters Patent No.'157,87?, datedDecember 15, 1874; application liled September 21, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that LCHRIsToPHERG. SHELBY, of SpringValley, county ofRockland and State of New York, have invented certain new and -usefulImprovements in Railroad-Crossings 5 with the lange-bearing plates incommon use for passing from one track to another, which is objectionablebecause of the jar and wear both to the wheels and track in the passageover the main line; and to this end my invention consists in theemployment of a short curved rail elevated above the inner main rail,pivoted at its junction with the inner side rail, and having its freeend kept in its normal position in contact with the inner main rail by aspring, and capable of being readily moved aside by the wheels of atrain moving in either direction over the main track, in coinbinationwith an inner stationary pointed side rail spliced to the inner mainrail, a guardrail, and an outer elevated side rail, by means of which,in connection with `a switch, (not shown in the drawing,) the wheels mayride over the elevated rails, and be transferred from the main track tothe siding, or the reverse, and the wheels run entirely upon theirtreads, thereby dispensing with the common flange-bearer.

In the accompanying drawing, A A are the rails of the main track, to theinner rail of which the pointed inner side rail B is bolted or otherwisesecurely fastened. O O are side rails. D is a short rail, pivoted at itsjunction with the inner side rail O, its free end being connected, by arod passing through perforations in the inner main rail and theguardrail E, with a spiing, S, preferably located in a covered box, topreserve it from injury, the tension of the spring being exerted to keepthe free end of the short rail D constantly in contact with the sideface of the inner main rail. The short rail thus constructed will oer noobstruction to the passage of a train in either direction over the maintrack, the wheels of the train readily moving the free end of the shortrail D aside, and the spring operating to bring back the end of theshort rail D against the inner main rail after the passage of a train.To insure the return of the free end of the short rail D against theinner main rail'in case the spring should be broken or inoperative fromany cause, an inclined plane, b, is employed, situated near the free endof the short rail D, up which the latter rides when it is moved aside bythe wheels of a passing train; and in case the spring should break orbecome inoperative the gravity of the free end of the short rail wouldcause it to slide down the inclined plane into its position in contactwith the inner main rail. The top face of the short rail D is elevatedat its central part above the inner main rail, and gradually inclines toits ends. The top face of the outer side rail O has also a curvaturesimilar to the top face of the short rail D, its central portion beingelevated with a gradual inclination to its ends. F Fl are guard-rails,the top face of the latter being elevated with a similar curvature withthe outside rail G. Y

In the operation of my improved track, it will be seen that the shortrail D will oii'er no obstruction to the passage of trains in eitherdirection over the main track, as its free end will readily be movedaside by the passing train, when it will regain its normal position incontact with the inner main rail. In the passage of a car on the sidingto the main track one set of wheels of the train will run lon theinclined elevated side track C', the opand cars incident to the use offrogs, and that in my construction the Wheels will at all times run upontheir treads.

I am aware that, in the class of crossings in which the side trackcrosses the unbroken main track, elevated side rails have been used inconnection With a flange-bearer, upon which the ange of a Wheel of apassing car impinges; and I therefore lay no claim to such invention,which is objectionable on account of the liability of injury to theflange of the Wheel.

I claim as my invention- The short rail D, the top face of which iselevated above the inner main rail, and pivoted at its junction with theinner side rail A, and its free end kept closed against the inner mainrail by a spring, S, in combination With the inner side rail B, pointedat its end and spliced to the inner main rail A, guard-rail E, andelevated outer side rail G, substantially as described, and for thepurposes set forth.

CHRISTOPHER C. SHELBY. Witnesses:

M. H. N. KENDIG, M. CHURCH.

